Shared Usage Telecommunications Billing System and Method

ABSTRACT

A telecommunications billing system includes a customer database, a usage database and a billing module. The customer database is configured to store subscription data identifying a pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunication units in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service. The usage database is configured to store a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service. The billing module is configured to calculate excess charges when a cumulative usage that includes a sum of the first set of telecommunications service usage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/655,576, filed Sep. 4, 2003, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

This disclosure, in general, relates to telecommunications billingsystems and methods for providing an invoice with shared services usage.

BACKGROUND

The telecommunications industry has developed a broad set oftelecommunications products and services to address customer demandwhile operating in a stringent regulatory environment. As a result,diverse products are offered by many different companies, oftenoperating in an uncooperative environment.

This uncooperative environment harms consumers as they are required tointeract with multiple entities for different services. In addition,consumers pay for telecommunications services through multiple channels,such as for example, a consumer may have a local phone bill, a longdistance bill, and a cellular bill, each from different providers.Moreover, consumers are often forced to select fixed plans instead oftelecommunications offerings customized to the consumer's particularusage patterns.

In addition, while a splintered set of companies have difficulty inefficiently and cost effectively providing various telecommunicationsservices to customers, while individual companies often have limitedability to provide a full range of services as a result of costs orregulatory limitations. A result of this environment is thattelecommunications customers often receive many different bills for thevarious different services, leading to increased costs and customerinconvenience.

Therefore, an improved system and method for providingtelecommunications services and associated invoices would be desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an exemplary telecommunications services usageenvironment.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary telecommunications service providerenvironment.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 depict exemplary methods for use in the exemplarytelecommunications services provider environment.

FIGS. 8 and 9 depict exemplary billing systems.

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary method for providing an invoice.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary account.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary bill.

FIG. 13 depicts an exemplary subscriber package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system for providing telecommunicationsservices. This particular example shows two telecommunications services102 and 104. A subscriber 108 subscribes to each of thetelecommunications services 102 and 104. The subscriber 108 is alsolinked to a set of shared units 106. These shared units are allotted tothe user for use in connection with at least one of the twotelecommunications services. As the two telecommunications services areused, units from the set of shared units are allocated to account forusage by the subscriber of the two telecommunications services 102, 104.

The telecommunications services 102 and 104 are distinct from eachother. In this exemplary embodiment the distinct telecommunicationsservices are a landline service 102 and a wireless service 104. As thesubscriber 108 utilizes these telecommunications services 102 and 104,usage is deducted from the allotted set of shared units 106. Variousdistinct telecommunications services may be utilized in conjunction withshared telecommunications units 106, such as, calling card services,long distance services, internet services, and wireless services.

The shared telecommunications units 106 may take various forms, such as,minutes, usage equivalents, various increments of time, or monetaryallotments, Usage of a telecommunications service may, for example, bededucted minute for minute. In another embodiment, usage may beallocated based on a unit equivalent such as one minute of long distanceequals one unit equivalent while two minutes of wireless service equalsone unit equivalent.

The shared telecommunications units may be further subdivided intoallotments for use in connection with usage during a certain period oftime, time of day, usage subject to greater expense, or usage subject togreater demand. In one exemplary embodiment, a set of sharedtelecommunications units may be supplied for use of either distincttelecommunications service 102 or 104 at any time during the day. Otherallotments may be provided for shared usage during specific times of dayor for exclusive usage of one of the two telecommunication services, 102or 104, at a given time of day (e.g. nights and weekends).

Allotments of shared units may be provided periodically such as inconjunction with a monthly service plan. Availability of shared unitsmay expire. In another embodiment, subsequent allotments of shared unitsmay be added to previously unused shared units. Usage of services beyondor in excess of the allotment of shared telecommunications units 106 maybe prohibited or charged on a per unit basis. The per unit basis may bedifferent for each of the telecommunication services 102 or 104.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of a system for allocatingtelecommunications service. In this exemplary embodiment, the subscriberor subscriber group 206 subscribes to various telecommunicationservices, such as local landline and long distance service 202, acalling card service 208, and a wireless phone service 204. Thesubscriber or subscriber group 206 may participate in a pricing plan orsubscriber package that includes an allotment of sharedtelecommunications units 210. The subscriber package or pricing plan mayfurther include a second allotment of shared units 212 and one or moreallotments of unshared units such as unshared unit set 214.

The subscriber or subscriber group 206 may, for example, be a family, abusiness, or a group of individuals utilizing telecommunicationservices. The subscriber or subscriber group 206 may, for example, haveone or more local landline phones or telephone lines, each having anassociated long distance service. Subscriber group 206 may further haveone or more calling cards 208 and several wireless phones 204. In thisexemplary embodiment, the subscriber package or pricing plan permitscharges for usage based on the allotment of shared telecommunicationsunits and unshared telecommunications units.

In one exemplary embodiment, per minute usage of landline long distancetelephone service 202 and per minute usage of wireless phone service 204is included in a monthly service plan up to a cumulative total of theshared telecommunications units. Usage beyond the cumulative total ofthe allotment of shared telecommunications units incurs additional feesor charges. These additional fees may be calculated using a common perunit rate common to each of the telecommunications services or adifferent rate for each of the telecommunication services.

The shared telecommunications units may be subdivided into one or moregroups. In this exemplary embodiment two sets of telecommunicationsunits 210 and 212 are shown. For example, one set of sharedtelecommunications units 210 may be allotted for telecommunicationsusage during specific time periods, during peak usage or at any timeduring the day. The second set of telecommunications units 212 may beutilized at other time periods such as off peak or night and weekendperiods. In one exemplary embodiment, units of the shared unit set 210may be allocated to usage of the various telecommunications servicesuntil the cumulative usage of the various telecommunications servicesexceeds the first set of shared units 210. Subsequently, additionalusage of the various telecommunications services used during specifictime periods, such as during off peak time periods, may be allocatedunits from the second shared unit set 212. However, peak usage in excessof the allotted shared units set 210 may incur additional charges. Theseadditional charges may be calculated using a per unit rate common to thevarious telecommunications services. Alternately, the additional chargesmay be calculated using the distinct rates for usage of each of thedifferent telecommunications services.

In an alternate embodiment, one or more of the varioustelecommunications services may have additional units allotted forindividual usage. For example, a set of unshared units 214 is shown inFIG. 2 as being allotted for use of the wireless phone service 204 butnot for the other services 202, 208. These unshared units 214 may beutilized prior to the utilization of the shared units, after exhaustionof the shared unit allocations, or through the application of businesslogic specifying how usage of a telecommunications service is to beallocated. Furthermore, usage of the shared telecommunications units maybe subject to additional business logic or limitations. For example,usage of the shared telecommunications units may be limited by usageratios, minimum or maximum usage of individual telecommunicationsservices, and other formulaic limits for insuring that usage of one ofthe services does not significantly exceed or account for an excessportion of the shared telecommunications units. For example, the sharedtelecommunications units 210 may be allocated to usage of long distancelandline and wireless telecommunications services provided that usage ofeither the landline long distance service or wireless service does notexceed a two to one ratio of units.

The pricing plan or subscriber package may further include businesslogic for applying the shared telecommunications units to usage of eachof the telecommunications services. In one exemplary embodiment, usageof the shared telecommunications units is applied based on when theusage occurs. For example, as each unit is used in conjunction witheither a long distance landline service or a wireless service, the unitis subtracted from the allotment of shared telecommunications units.Upon exhaustion of the allotment of shared telecommunications units,additional fees are incurred based on a per unit charge which may bedistinct for each of the telecommunications services. In an alternateembodiment, all usage of one telecommunications service may be allocatedunits from the telecommunications shared units before the second serviceis allocated units. Excess charges are then incurred at a ratedetermined by the second telecommunications service. For example, unitsfrom the allocation of shared telecommunications units may first beallocated to usage of the landline long distance telecommunicationsservice. Then, any remaining units of the allocation of sharedtelecommunications units may be allocated to usage of the wirelesstelecommunications service. Charges for usage in excess of the allottedshared telecommunications units would be incurred at a rate specific tothe wireless telecommunications service rate. However, various businesslogic or formulas may be applied to the allocation of sharedtelecommunications units.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary system for providing an allotment of sharedtelecommunications units and an invoice or bill associated with usage ofthat allotment and applicable services. In a complex regulatoryenvironment, telecommunications providers are generally subdivided bythe type of telecommunications service provided. In some cases, onetelecommunications service provider may provide severaltelecommunications services, but not others. In this exemplaryembodiment, distinct entities provide different telecommunicationsservices. These distinct entities may be individual companies,subdivisions of a larger company, or a combination of each. Each entityprovides its service but must account for that service and provideinvoices in conjunction with other entities.

In this exemplary embodiment, a long distance telecommunicationsprovider 302, a local landline service provider 304, and a wirelesstelecommunications provider 306 interact to establish accounts for eachof their associated telecommunications services to i) draw from theshared allotment of telecommunications units, ii) modify those accounts,iii) provide invoices to subscribers associated with those accounts, andiv) reconcile the usage and allocations of monies acquired throughinvoicing. In one exemplary embodiment, the local service provider 304may receive an order for a specific price plan or subscriber packagethat includes shared telecommunications units. This order or subscriberpackage may further include a request for wireless service and landlinelong distance service. The local landline service provider may transmitthis information to the wireless service provider 306 and to thelandline long distance service provider 302. In one exemplaryembodiment, the landline long distance service provider 302 isresponsible for managing the allocation of shared telecommunicationsunits. In this case, the long distance landline service provider 302interacts with the wireless telecommunications provider 306 to exchangeinformation and associate subscriber usage of the wirelesstelecommunications service provided by the wireless service provider 306with long distance usage provided by the long distance landline serviceprovider 302. The long distance service provider 302 and the wirelessprovider 306 may further interact to exchange usage data, reconciledata, modify accounts, and exchange monies.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the local landline service provider304 may provide a unified invoice or bill to subscribers. This unifiedinvoice or bill may include information about the allocation of theshared telecommunications units, long distance landline service usage,wireless service usage, local charges, taxes for each of the individualtelecommunications services, equipment charges associated with one ormore of the telecommunications services, and other charges. In thisexemplary embodiment, the wireless service provider 306 may transferusage information to the long distance service provider 302. The longdistance service provider 302 provides the local service provider 304with an accounting of the wireless usage and long distance usage inrelation to the shared telecommunications units. The long distanceprovider 302 may further provide invoice data associated with usage inexcess of the allotted shared telecommunications units, taxes associatedwith the long distance provider, and other charges. The wirelessprovider 306 may provide the local service provider 304 with invoicedata such as equipment charges or taxes. The local service provider 304may incorporate the invoice data from the long distance landline serviceprovider 302 and the wireless telecommunications service provider 306into a unified bill that includes charges associated with localtelecommunications services. This bill may be sent or transmitted to thesubscriber using an electronic method such as email or a website or apaper method such as a mailed bill.

The bill may alternately be provided by the long distance landlineservice provider 302 or the wireless telecommunications provider 306. Inalternate embodiments, the local service provider 304 or wirelessservice provider 306 may act to manage and allocate the sharedtelecommunications units.

In the particular embodiment described in relation to FIG. 3, the localservice provider 304 provides a bill and receives an order for a serviceplan. The long distance service provider manages the sharedtelecommunications units. Each entity is responsible for providing theassociated telecommunications services. FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 depictexemplary methods for providing telecommunications services inconnection with the shared telecommunications units.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary method for managing the provision oftelecommunications services in conjunction with sharedtelecommunications units. An entity may receive an order as shown atstep 402. The entity may, for example, be a local landlinetelecommunications service provider. The order may be associated with asubscription for local landline, long distance landline, and wirelesstelecommunications services. The order may further include a pricingplan that includes shared telecommunications units.

The entity may transfer order data associated with wirelesstelecommunications services to the wireless provider, as shown at step404. The ordered data may include information about the pricing planthat is associated with shared telecommunications units and may be usedin conjunction with establishing a new wireless telecommunicationsservice or modifying an existing account. The entity may also transferorder data to a long distance service provider, as shown at step 406.The order data may identify the pricing plan. The wireless serviceprovider and the long distance service provider may interact toestablish accounts and manage usage in relation to the sharedtelecommunications units.

The entity may then receive a combined invoice file from the longdistance service provider or the wireless service provider. In thisparticular embodiment, the billing entity receives a combined invoicefile from the long distance service provider, as shown at step 408. Thebilling entity may then receive supplemental invoice data from thewireless service provider, as shown at step 410. This supplementalinvoice data may include charges unrelated to the sharedtelecommunications units such as equipment charges and taxes.

The billing entity may prepare an invoice or bill using the combinedinvoice file and the supplemental invoice data, as shown at step 412.The entity may then transmit or transfer the invoice or bill to thesubscriber, as shown at step 414. The entity may mail a paper bill,email an electronic bill, or provide an electronic statement on awebsite.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary method for managing an account associatedwith shared telecommunications units. In this exemplary embodiment, along distance landline services provider may receive an order from alocal exchange carrier, as shown in step 502. The order may includeinformation and data associated with a subscriber and may identify apricing plan that includes an allotment of shared telecommunicationsunits. The long distance service provider may receive wireless accountdata from the wireless service provider, as shown at step 504.

The long distance service provider may then create or modify an account,as shown in step 506. This account may include subscriber data, thepricing plan, and the wireless account data. In one exemplaryembodiment, the long distance service provider may perform error checks,as shown at step 508. Error checks may include interaction with thewireless service provider or manual manipulation of account records.These error checks may be used to improve accuracy of data used inpairing wireless and long distance accounts.

Once an account is established, the long distance service provider mayreceive usage data from the wireless service provider, as shown at step510. The long distance service provider may also receive usage dataassociated with long distance service usage, as shown at step 512. Thecombined usage data may be reconciled with allocation of shared units,as shown in step 514. For example, the shared telecommunications unitsmay be allocated to usage in the order in which the usage occurred. Inalternate embodiments, the usage may be allocated according to businesslogic such as allocating one service usage first or preferentiallyallocating usage according to a formula. In cases in which the combinedusage of telecommunications services exceeds the available allotment ofshared telecommunications units, excess charges may be determined, asshown at step 516. These excess charges may, for example, includepurchasing an additional allotment of service units, charging a commonper unit rate according to a number of units used in excess of theshared allotment, or charging distinct per unit rates based on theamount and type of telecommunication service usage used in excess of theallotment of shared telecommunications units.

The long distance service provider may then prepare a combined invoice,as shown at step 518. This combined invoice may include an accounting ofthe usage allocated to the shared telecommunications units, charges forusage in excess of the allotted shared telecommunications units, andtaxes. This combined invoice may be transferred to the billing entity,such as the local exchange carrier, as shown in step 520.

The long distance service provider may further prepare a reconciliationfile indicating allocation of usage to the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units, charges for use in excess of the sharedtelecommunications units allotment, and/or payment data. Thisreconciliation file may then be transferred to the wireless serviceprovider, as shown at step 524.

FIG. 6 depicts another exemplary method for managing an account withallotments of shared telecommunications units. A wireless serviceprovider may, for example, receive an order, as shown in step 602. Theorder may include subscriber data and may indicate a pricing plan thatincludes an allotment of shared telecommunications units. The wirelessservice provider may create an account, as shown at step 604. Thewireless service provider may send account information associated withthe account to the long distance service provider, as shown at step 606.In conjunction with the long distance service provider, the wirelessprovider may perform error reconciliation, as shown at step 608.

Once an account is established, the wireless service provider mayprovide wireless service and receive usage data, as shown at step 610.The wireless service provider may then send usage data to the longdistance service provider, as shown at 612.

The wireless service provider may prepare a supplemental invoice, asshown at step 614. The supplemental invoice may include charges notassociated with the shared telecommunications units for uses such asequipment charges or taxes. In one exemplary embodiment, tax informationmay be sent to the long distance service provider for inclusion with thecombined invoice. In another exemplary embodiment, the tax informationmay be included with the supplemental invoice. The supplemental invoicemay then be sent to the local exchange carrier, as shown at step 616.The local exchange carrier may include this supplemental invoice in acombined bill sent to the subscriber.

The wireless service provider may also receive a reconciliation file, asshown at step 618. This reconciliation file may indicate allocation ofusage to the allotment of telecommunications units, charges for uses inexcess of the allotment of shared telecommunications units, and otherinformation relating to the accounting of usage such as payment data.The wireless service provider may then reconcile its usage records usingthe reconciliation file, as shown at step 620.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary method for accounting for uncollectedpayments. In one exemplary embodiment, uncollected payments areaccounted for based on a statistical charge back ratio. A charge backratio may be established, as shown at step 702. This charge back ratiomay, for example, be based on historic payment statistics fortelecommunications services. In one exemplary embodiment, money istransferred between the local exchange carrier and the long distancecarrier based on the invoice amounts less a charge back based on thecharge back ratio for both the long distance and wireless invoices. Thelong distance service provider then transfers money to the wirelessservice provider based on an agreement associated with the sharedtelecommunications pricing plan less a charge back amount based on theestablished charge back ratio.

Each entity may then receive charge back data, as shown at step 704,based on actual payment data associated with invoices. The charge backratios may then be adjusted, as shown at step 706, for future monetaryexchanges.

FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary system for managing telecommunicationsservices associated with a pricing plan that includes sharedtelecommunications units. In this exemplary embodiment, the systeminteraction between an exemplary wireless provider, an exemplary longdistance provider, and an exemplary local exchange carrier (LEC) areshown.

The Application Program Interfaces (APIs) 804 are application programsthat enable data to be exchanged “real time” between differentapplication systems. The APIs 804 may, for example, include interfaces,such as for order information for Cellular Telephone Numbers (CTN) fromthe customer service representative screens 802 to the wireless orderingand billing system 806.

The ordering and billing system 806 may include interfaces such as theAPIs to Customer Service Reps mentioned above. The ordering and billingsystem 806 may also send customer and ordering information to the CTNFulfillment application 834, which send out a letter and/or equipment tothe customer notifying them of their order. The ordering and billingsystem may also include handshake files, which are daily batch filesbetween the wireless and LEC ordering systems that tell the LEC orderingsystems that the account has ordered a shared minute price plan. Inaddition, the ordering and billing system 806 may include manualprocesses from LEC Bill Invoice Receipt 820. As the LEC customer changesthe account status such as change of address or billing responsibilityin the LEC systems, this information is sent in a report to the wirelessprovider. The wireless provider manually updates the customerinformation in the Ordering and Billing system 806.

ATLAS 808 communication server sends and receives data between thewireless provider's application and other applications. ATLAS 808 mayinclude interfaces for Ordering and billing information (customer name,address, tax information, customer's cellular usage, etc.) from thewireless and long distance mediation systems. ATLAS 808 may interfacewith erred ordering and billing information sent from long distancemediation system to the wireless provider system 806. ATLAS may alsointerface with billing settlement information between the wirelessprovider and the long distance provider.

The long distance provider system 810 provides ordering and billing forthe long distance provider. The system may include a mediation system812, long distance ordering and billing applications 814, and a splitterapplication or system 816. The mediation system 812 is an applicationthat is part of the long distance ordering and billing system 810. Themediation system 812 receives records/files from external systems andperforms validation of the data in each field of the records. Themediation system 812 also reformats data from various feeds into astandard format that is read by other long distance system applications.When records/files are sent out from the long distance system 812, themediation system 812 formats these records/files that are sent toexternal applications. The mediation system 812 interfaces with orderingand billing information (customer name, address, tax information,customers cellular usage, etc.) from the wireless system 808 and 806;erred ordering and billing information that is sent from the longdistance mediation system 810 to wireless system 806; and billingsettlement information between the wireless provider and the longdistance provider. The mediation system 812 formats data from variousfeeds into a standard format that is read by other long distance systemapplications.

The long distance ordering and billing applications 814 performfunctions such as usage rating, bill calculation, bill formatting, andonline customer data online that aggregate a customer's long distanceand wireless usage/charges and formats a bill. The long distanceordering and billing applications 814 also allocate and send settlementinformation between the long distance provider and the wirelessprovider. The long distance system ordering and billing applications 812interface with the mediation system 812 through the splitter 816.Splitter information includes information such as LEC ordering/accountstatus information for a customer who has the shared minutes product.The ordering and billing applications 814 may send long distance billinvoices to the LEC to be printed as part of the LEC bill. Settlementinformation for these invoices is passed back and forth between the LECsand the long distance providers. The order and billing applications 814also send customer and ordering information to the long distance vendorfulfillment system 818, which sends out a letter to the customernotifying them of their order.

The splitter 816 is a long distance application that receives LECordering information and sends this order information to the correctphysical databases where the customer accounts reside. For consumeraccounts, the accounts may exist on several different databases orinstances based on region. The splitter 816 interfaces with LEC ordersconsisting of CARE (customer order status on their long distancecarrier) and ECARE (customer choice of Price Plan or Promotion) that aresent, for example, several times a day from the LEC ordering systemsinto the splitter 816. Splitter information is sent to ordering andbilling applications 814 to establish new accounts and/or maintaininformation on an account.

An interactive voice response (IVR) system 836 may also communicate withthe ordering and billing applications 814. Customers may call the IVRsystem 836 to receive account information such as usage and remainingshared minutes.

The long distance vendor fulfillment system 818 receives orderinginformation from the long distance system 810 and prints/sends theWelcome letter/Fulfillment regarding the shared minutes product tocustomers.

In the LEC systems, the Bill Day Calculation and Bill Rendering system822 is a LEC billing systems application that calculates the billcharges that will appear on a customer's bill and formats the bill. Thesystem 822 creates the billing file to be printed that includes LEC andLong Distance charges (LEC Shared Bill). The system 822 sendsinformation to the Extract SO Activity system 824 that communicates tothe wireless provider changes to the customer status in the LEC billingsystems. Service Order activity is sent that impacts a customer accountstatus and calculation of a customer's charges. The Bill Invoice Receipt820 sends the bill invoices received from long distance provider andsends them to Bill Day Calc. and Bill Rend system 822 for inclusion inthe customer's bill. In this manner, a customer's charges appear ontheir LEC Shared Bill.

The Extract SO Activity system 824 is a LEC service order activityapplication that keeps the LEC Bill Invoice Receipt systems 820 apprisedof a customer's status. The system 824 receives customer statusinformation from the LEC Ordering applications and sends information itreceives into LEC Invoice Receipt systems 820 for customer status

The Bill Invoice Receipt system 820 is the LEC system that processesinvoices sent by the Long Distance provider's applications. The system820 receives customer status information from the LEC Extract SOActivity applications 824. The Bill Invoice Receipt system 820 sends thebill invoices received from long distance system to Bill Day Calc. andBill Rend system 822 on the customer's bill day so all of a customer'scharges appear on their LEC Shared Bill. The system 820 also sends ahandshake file to the wireless provider to notify the wireless providerof changes in the customer's account status in the LEC Billing system.

The LEC Ordering system 826 is a LEC application that transforms acustomers shared minutes order information to outputs to the longdistance provider. The Ordering system 826 sends customer's orderinformation to the long distance provider and receives confirmation ofthe order receipt from the long distance provider. The ordering system826 also sends customer's order information to the Extract SO Activityapplication 824 in order to pass on customers status activity to thewireless provider in the handshake file.

The Order Generation and Service Order Activity system 828 are LECapplications that generate LEC customers shared minutes orderinformation into an order for both long distance and wireless servicesalong with establishing a LEC combined bill. The system 828 receiveswireless CTN order information and LEC customer service representativeorder information.

FIG. 9 depicts a telecommunications system for managing accounts havingan associated pricing plan that includes shared telecommunicationsservices. The system includes a local exchange carrier (LEC) system 902,systems associated with a wireless provider, and various systemsassociated with a long distance service provider.

The LECs ordering systems 902 sends order information for shared minuteproducts from the various LEC data centers to the long distance datacenter 910. The primary interexchange carrier (PIC) record/file 904includes information regarding the customer's account status for theirLong Distance Carrier. ECARE 905 is the record/file information on thecustomer's shared minute price plan and/or promotion.

The Wireless Revenue Accounting Systems (RAS) 906 is a system thattracks financials internally and between the wireless providers externalinterfaces. The Wireless Billing System 908 communicated ordering andbilling information such as customer name, address, tax information, andcustomers cellular usage from the wireless provider to the LD DataCenter 910. The Wireless Billing System 908 may also receive erroredordering and billing information that is sent from LD Mediation system916 to Wireless Billing System 908.

The LD Data Center 910 sends and receives files and is the site of thePD billing and ordering system as exemplified by the variousapplications and systems. The LD Data Center 910 receives ordering andbilling information such as customer name, address, tax information, andcustomers cellular usage from the wireless provider systems and theLECs. The LD Data Center 910 also sends this information into the longdistance billing systems.

The errors 912 include ordering and billing errors related to wirelesscustomer profile records such as customer name, address, and taxinformation and wireless usage.

The Wireless Data Files 914 are the original source data files for datasuch as usage, customer profiles, errors, and settlements, exchangedbetween LD and wireless providers that are stored on a Data Repository(ODR) 940 for the purpose of extracting report data and audit/control.The wireless data files 914 are sent to the ODR 940. The wireless datafiles 914 may be received from the LD Data Center, or may be theoriginal wireless customer profile, usage, error records/files.

The Acquisition and Format Mediation system 916 is an application thatis part of the LD ordering and billing system. Mediation system 916takes in records/files from external systems and performs validation ofthe data in each field of the records. Mediation system 916 alsoreformats data from various feeds into a standard format that is read byother LD applications. When records/files are sent out from the longdistance provider, Mediation system 916 formats these records/files thatare sent to external applications. The Mediation system 916 receivesordering and billing information such as customer name, address, taxinformation, and customers cellular usage, from the wireless providerthrough the LD Data Center 910. Errored ordering and billing information912 is sent from the A& F Mediation 916 to the wireless provider. TheMediation system 916 formats data from various feeds into a standardformat that is read by other LD applications. The Medication system 916also communicates billing settlement information between the wirelessand long distance provider.

The Error Management System (EMS) 918 is an application that is part ofthe LD ordering and billing system. The EMS 918 corrects usage errorsand billing invoices that are rejected by the EEC Invoice Ready systems.As mentioned above, errors for usage and invoice correction areprocessed between EMS 918 and Usage and Shared Bill (LEC Invoice Ready(IR) system).

The PIC application 920 is an application that is part of the LDordering and billing system. PIC 920 is the module that processesPIC/ECARE files for the LECs information regarding a customer's accountand product status. The PIC application 920 sends Fulfillment data tothe customer for new account and/or new products. The PIC application920 also updates the LD ordering and billing system customer database(932) with customer account and product information.

The Fulfillment system 922 prints the Welcome letter sent to customersfor new account and/or product information. The fulfillment system 922sends Fulfillment letter to the customer for new account and/or newproducts.

The Customer Profile Acquisition application 924 is an application thatis part of the LD ordering and billing system. This application 924processes and retains wireless customer information such as customername, address, and tax information, that is maintained in the LDordering and billing system customer database 932.

The Message Processing System (MPS) 926 is an application that is partof the LD ordering and billing system. This system 926 processes andrates the shared minute usage (both LD and wireless). The MPS 926receives usage detail from the A&F Mediation application 916 and storesthe rated (and unrated) detail and summarized usage in Usage Tables(928).

The Usage database 928 stores the rated (and unrated) detail andsummarized usage. The Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) 930 is anenterprise database application that stores copies of the LD orderingand billing system data that is used for marketing reports andcompensation. The EDW 930 receives copies of ordering and billing datafrom LD systems.

An interactive voice response (IVR) system 960 may also communicate withthe usage database 928. Customers may call the IVR system 960 to receiveaccount information such as usage and remaining shared minutes.

The Customer database 932 is a set of tables and system software thatstores the LD ordering and billing data. It interfaces with various LDapplications including the CSM 944, PIC 920, EDW 930, and A/R system948.

The Billing system 934 is an application that is part of the LD orderingand billing system. This system 934 calculates the monthly and recurringcharges, along with additional billing calculations, for the sharedminute product. The billing system 934 processes the rated detail andsummarized usage from the Usage Tables 928.

The Replicated DB 936 is a copy of the Customer DB 932 for disasterrecovery purposes. It is also a source for Reports 950 data that areformatted by the Business Object application 938. The Replicated DB 936is accessed by the Business Objects application 938 for reports data.

The Business Objects 938 is a standard reporting application that isused to format reports. The business objects 938 access data stored invarious data repositories (EDW 930, ODR 940, and Replicated Database936).

The Operational Data Repository (ODR) 940 stores various datarecords/files, such as the original/raw data records sent/received priorto any manipulation or reformatting is done to help with audit andcontrol functionality. The ODR 940 interfaces with the Business Object938 for reports and storing data records/files.

The Settlement Business 942 includes various data records/files thatcontain share minute billing and settlement information that iscalculated in the LD system and is sent to WIRELESS RAS system 906 tobook revenues between the two companies. The settlement business 942receives revenue reports that originate from the LD A/R Application 948.Settlement information is sent the LD Data Center 910 and then on to theWireless RAS system 906.

The Customer Service Module (CSM) 944 is an application that is part ofthe LD ordering and billing system that is the online tool for CustomerService Reps to view data stored in the Customer DB 932 and usage tables928.

The Bill Formatter 946 is an application that is part of the LD orderingand billing system that formats the shared minute charges for the LECShared bill invoices and also to a Direct Bill format. The billformatter 946 interfaces with the LEC Shared Bill Invoice Ready (IR)systems and to the Supplemental Direct Bills print vendor.

The Accounts/Receivable application 948 is an application that is partof the LD ordering and billing system that books the shared minuterevenue. It interfaces with the Customer DB 932 and the Reports module950.

The Reports module 950 produces financial reports from data stored in LDordering and billing system. It interfaces with the A/R application 948.Data is sent to the Wireless RAS system 906.

The Tax & Surcharge Customization 952 is a process that allows eitherthe LD or the wireless provider to manipulate the standard data returnedfrom the vendor tax and surcharge software.

The Shared Bill 954 is sent to the LEC Invoice Ready systems thatinclude the LD invoices as part of the LEC Shared Bill. The SupplementalDirect Bill 956 is a direct bill sent to a customer when the LEC InvoiceReady system will not accepts the LD invoice. The Additional Areas 958are associated with establishing a bill relationship with the wirelessprovider such as Price Plan creations, testing, and table updates.

FIG. 10 depicts an alternate embodiment in which a single entityaccounts for service usage and provides a bill. The entity may receive afirst subscriber service usage, as seen in step 1002, and secondsubscriber service usage, as seen at step 1004. The entity may allocateshared units to the usage, as seen at step 1006, and determine chargesfor uses in excess of the allotted shared units, as seen at step 1008.The entity may then compile a bill, as seen at step 1010, and distributethe bill, as seen at step 1012.

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary shared account 1102. The account may, forexample, be stored in a database or memory. The account 1102 may includesubscriber information 1104, first subscriber service information 1106,second subscriber service information 1108, third subscriber serviceinformation 1110, shared telecommunications units 1112, first subscriberservice units 1114, and second subscriber service units 1116.

The subscriber information 1104 may include data associated with thesubscriber such as identifiers, names, addresses, phone numbers, contactinformation, credit information, and information indicating the serviceto which the subscriber has subscribed. The first subscriber serviceinformation 1106 may include information specific to the firstsubscriber service and the second subscriber service 1108 may includeinformation specific to the second subscriber service. The subscriberservice information may for example include account numbers or telephonenumbers associated with the subscriber service. This information may beuseful in identifying usage data associated with the account. Forexample, the first subscriber service 1106 may be a long distancelandline service. The first subscriber service 1106 may includeinformation such as the phone number, service provider, and ratesassociated with usage in excess of the allotted sharedtelecommunications units.

The account 1102 may also include a third subscriber service information1110. This information may, for example, be associated with a thirdsubscriber service which may or may not be associated with or have useallocated to the allotted shared telecommunications units. For example,the third subscriber service may be a local landline service that ischarged at a flat rate. Alternately, the third subscriber service may bea calling card service that may be billed in conjunction with the sharedtelecommunications units. In a further embodiment, the third subscriberservice may be an Internet or broadband service that may or may notutilize the allotment of shared telecommunications units. In the case ofthe broadband or Internet service, the subscriber service informationmay include user names and passwords, network access information, andcomputer equipment information.

The account 1102 may further include one or more allotments of sharedtelecommunications units 1112. The allotments of sharedtelecommunications units 1112 may be allocated to usage of one or moreof the telecommunications services. For example, telecommunicationsunits from the allotment of shared telecommunications units may beallocated to usage of long distance and wireless phone service. Theallotment may be further subdivided into allotments that may be utilizedduring peak or off-peak time periods. In an alternate embodiment, anallotment of shared telecommunications units may be provided for usageat any time. Once this allotment is exhausted, an additional allotmentmay be provided for usage at off-peak time periods. In a furtherembodiment, an additional allotment may be provided for unshared usage,for example, a first set of units 1114 may be provided for usage inexcess of the shared telecommunications units for a first subscriberservice and a second set of units 1116 may be provided for usage of asecond subscriber service in excess of shared telecommunicationsallotment 1112.

In one exemplary embodiment, the account may be a billed account.Service charges may occur on a reoccurring basis such as monthly afterthe service has been provided. In another embodiment, the account may bepartially prepaid in which anticipated charges are paid in advance andunanticipated charges are billed after the service is provided. In afurther embodiment, the account may be prepaid and service discontinuedwhen the account balance or shared units are full allocated or used.

FIG. 12 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a bill or invoice 1202. Thebill or invoice 1202 may include subscriber information 1204, sharedaccount information 1206, charges for excess usage 1208, local landlineservice information 1210, long distance landline service information1212, wireless service information 1214, calling card information 1216,internet access information 1218, other service information 1220, taxinformation 1222, and accounting information 1224.

The subscriber information 1204 may be, for example, informationidentifying the subscriber or subscribers such as names, accountnumbers, addresses, and phone numbers. The shared account information1206 may, for example, include information about whichtelecommunications services are included in the shared accounts,allocation of usage of those services that draw from the allotment ofshared telecommunications units, allocation totals, unused portions ofallotted units, and other information associated with sharedtelecommunications units such as how many units and what charges areincurred to secure those units for a period of time. In one exemplaryembodiment, the invoice bill may include as summary section identifyingan amount of allotted units, an amount of allocated or used units, and acharge summary.

The invoice or bill 1202 may further include charges for usage in excessof the allotted shared telecommunications units. These excess charges1208 may, for example, enumerate or identify charges based on a per unitcost, charges for additional allotments of shared units, or chargesassociated with usage of individual services at a rate specific to thatindividual service for use in excess of the shared telecommunicationsunits.

The bill or invoice may further include local landline serviceinformation 1210. This local landline service information may include,for example, charges associated with the local landline service, chargesassociated with additional features provided by the local landlineservice provider, and other information associated with local landlineservice.

The long distance landline service information 1212 may include alisting of phone calls made including data such as to call destinationand length of call. The long distance landline service information 1212may further include information associated with charges not included inthe shared account information 1206 or the charges for excess usage1208.

The invoice 1202 may further include wireless service information 1214.The wireless service information 1214 may include a listing of wirelesscalls including data associated with to call length and destination.

Similar information may be included in the calling card information 1216for calls made using a calling card. Charges may also be provided in thecalling card information 1216 in the event that the calling card serviceis not attached to those services utilizing the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units.

The Internet access information 1218 may include data associated withcharges incurred for Internet access such as flat fees and taxes,equipment rentals or per usage access charges associated with Internetaccess.

In addition, other service information 1220 may be included. This otherservice information may include charges not previously shown inassociation with other services, such as equipment charges or otherservices. In addition, other services not specifically mentioned abovemay be incorporated into a bill such as cable data and televisionservices. Tax information 1222 may be included in conjunction with eachof the various services or may be enumerated or identified separately.Taxes may be imposed separately and distinctly for each service such aslocal, long distance, and wireless services. Furthermore, each of theseservices may be taxed under different taxing jurisdictions.

Furthermore, the bill 1202 may include accounting information 1224. Thisinformation may, for example, identify previous charges, previouspayments and show a total amount due. The bill or invoice 1202 mayinclude additional information and may be formatted in a manner thatwould be convenient for the customer.

FIG. 13 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a subscriber package 1302.The subscriber package 1302 includes first shared telecommunicationsunits 1304, second shared telecommunications units 1306, an allotment ofunshared telecommunications units 1308, landline rates 1310, longdistance landline rates 1312, and wireless rates 1314. The subscriberpackage 1302 may also include Internet rates 1316, calling card rates1318, other service rates 1320, and taxes 1322.

In this exemplary embodiment, a subscriber package 1302 includes a firstallotment of shared telecommunications units 1304. This first allotmentof shared telecommunications 1304 may, for example, be units forallocation to usage that occurs at any point in time or at peak timeperiods. The second allotment of shared telecommunications units 1306may, for example, be allocated for usage in excess of the first sharedtelecommunications units allotment 1304 or for usage oftelecommunications service at off-peak periods of time.

In one exemplary embodiment, an allotment of unshared telecommunicationsunits 1308 may be provided for allocation to usage of one of thetelecommunications services associated with the sharedtelecommunications units. For example, units in the allotment ofunshared telecommunications units may be allocated to usage in excess ofthe allotment of shared telecommunications units or for usage notallocated from the shared telecommunications units.

In addition, the subscriber package 1302 may include rate informationassociated with local landline services 1310, long distance landlinerates 1312 and wireless usage rates 1314. The local landline rates 1310may, for example be flat fees associated with providing a local landlineservice and selected features associated with that service. The longdistance landline rates 1312 and wireless usage rates 1314 may, forexample, be rates applied to usage in excess of the allotments of sharedtelecommunications units. In an alternate embodiment, a common usagerate may be applied to excess usage.

In one exemplary embodiment, the subscriber package 1302 may includesubscriptions to other services, such as calling card services, Internetservices, and various other services. For example, the calling cardservices may draw from the shared telecommunications units, 1304 and1306. Alternately, a calling card rate 1318 may be provided. Similarly,an Internet usage rate 1316 may be provided and may include flat feesfor broadband Internet services or per unit rates for internet service.

The subscriber package 1302 may include other service rates 1320, suchas equipment rental and other telecommunications services. Furthermore,the subscriber package 1302 may include tax information 1322. Taxes maybe imposed based on jurisdictions and services.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to atelecommunications billing system. The telecommunications billing systemincludes an interface, a customer database, a usage database and abilling module. The interface is configured to receive subscription dataassociated with a subscription and a first set of telecommunicationsservice usage data associated with a first telecommunications service.The subscription data identifies a pricing plan. A pricing plan includesan allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connectionwith at least one of the first telecommunications service and a secondtelecommunications service. The customer database is configured to storecustomer information associated with the subscription. The customerinformation includes the subscription data identifying the pricing plan.The usage database is configured to store the first set oftelecommunications service usage data and a second set oftelecommunications service usage data associated with the secondtelecommunications service. The billing module is configured to accessthe usage database and the customer database. The billing module isconfigured to generate billing data utilizing the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units, the first set of telecommunications serviceusage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data.

In another embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a method ofproviding a shared telecommunications account. The method includesreceiving order data, receiving a first set of telecommunicationsservice account data from a first telecommunications service provider,and creating a telecommunications account. The order data identifies apricing plan. The pricing plan has an associated allotment of sharedtelecommunications units for use in connection with at least one a firsttelecommunications service and a second telecommunications service. Thefirst set of telecommunications service account data is associated withthe order data and is also associated with the first telecommunicationsservice. The telecommunications account provides the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units usable for the first telecommunications serviceand the second telecommunications service.

In a further embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a method ofproviding an invoice to a telecommunications subscriber. The methodincludes receiving an invoice file, preparing an invoice, and sendingthe invoice to a subscriber. The invoice file is received from a firsttelecommunications service provider. The invoice file identifies usageof shared telecommunications units applied in connection with a firsttelecommunications service and a second telecommunications service. Theinvoice is prepared based upon information from the invoice file.

In a further embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a method ofestablishing a telecommunications service. The method includes receivingorder data, establishing an account, and sending account information toa second subscriber service provider. The order data identifies a priceplan. The price plan includes an allotment of shared telecommunicationsunits. The shared telecommunications units are available for use inconnection with a first subscriber service and a second subscriberservice. The first subscriber service is distinct from the secondsubscriber service. The account includes account information and isestablished in response to receiving the order data. The account isassociated with the first subscriber service. The second serviceprovider provides the second subscriber service.

In a particular embodiment the disclosure is directed to a method ofproviding a bill to a telecommunications subscriber. The method includesdistributing a bill using shared account information to thetelecommurnications subscriber. The shared account informationidentifies shared telecommunications units used in connection with afirst subscriber service and a second subscriber service. The firstsubscriber service is distinct from the second subscriber service.

In another embodiment, the disclosure is directed to atelecommunications subscriber service package. The telecommunicationssubscriber service package includes an allocation of shared accountunits. At least a portion of the allocation of shared account units isavailable for use in connection with a first subscriber service and asecond subscriber service. The first subscriber service is distinct fromthe second subscriber service.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to an account.The account includes computer readable memory and account informationstored in the computer readable memory. The account informationidentifies a set of shared telecommunications units available for use inconnection with at least one of a first subscriber service and a secondsubscriber service. The first subscriber service is distinct from thesecond subscriber service.

The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximumextent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to bedetermined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the followingclaims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited bythe foregoing detailed description.

1. A telecommunications billing system comprising: a customer databaseconfigured to store subscription data identifying a pricing plan, thepricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunication unitsfor use in connection with at least one of a first telecommunicationsservice and a second telecommunications service; a usage databaseconfigured to store a first set of telecommunications service usage dataassociated with the first telecommunications service and a second set oftelecommunications service usage data associated with the secondtelecommunications service; and a billing module configured to: accessthe usage database and the customer database; and calculate excesscharges when a cumulative usage that includes a sum of the first set oftelecommunications service usage data and the second set oftelecommunications service usage data exceeds the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units.
 2. The telecommunications billing system ofclaim 1, wherein the first telecommunications service is a wirelesstelecommunications service and the second telecommunications service isa land line service.
 3. The telecommunications billing system of claim1, further comprising a bill formatter configured to access the billingmodule and configured to prepare at least part of an invoice utilizingbilling data generated by the billing module.
 4. The telecommunicationsbilling system of claim 1, further comprising an error handling systemconfigured to reconcile subscription data.
 5. The telecommunicationsbilling system of claim 1, further comprising a settlement systemconfigured to transfer settlement reports to a provider of the firsttelecommunications service.
 6. The telecommunications billing system ofclaim 5, further comprising a revenue tracking system configured toaccess the customer database and configured to access the settlementsystem, the settlement reports including revenue data generated by therevenue tracking system.
 7. The telecommunications billing system ofclaim 1, wherein shared telecommunications units are allotted inconjunction with a monthly charge.
 8. The telecommunications billingsystem of claim 1, further comprising an interactive voice responsesystem configured to provide account data associated with the allotmentof shared telecommunications units.
 9. A method comprising: receiving aselection of a pricing plan including an allotment of sharedtelecommunications units for use in connection with at least one of afirst telecommunications service and a second telecommunicationsservice; receiving a first set of telecommunications service usage dataassociated with the first telecommunications service and a second set oftelecommunications service usage data associated with the secondtelecommunications service; determining a combined usage by combiningthe first set of telecommunications service usage data and the secondset of telecommunications service usage data; and determining excessusage charges when the combined usage exceeds the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the firsttelecommunications service is provided by a first telecommunicationsservice provider and the second telecommunications service is providedby a second telecommunications service provider.
 11. The method of claim9, further comprising preparing a reconciliation report associated withthe allotment of shared telecommunication units.
 12. The method of claim9, further comprising allocating shared telecommunications units of theallotment of shared telecommunications units.
 13. The method of claim 9,further comprising preparing a combined invoice based on the allotmentof shared telecommunications units.
 14. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising communicating the combined invoice to a telecommunicationsservice provider.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein thetelecommunications service provider is a local exchange carrier.
 16. Acomputer readable medium including instructions executable by aprocessor to: receive a selection of a pricing plan including anallotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection withat least one of a first telecommunications service and a secondtelecommunications service; receive a first set of telecommunicationsservice usage data associated with the first telecommunications serviceand a second set of telecommunications service usage data associatedwith the second telecommunications service; determine a combined usageby combining the first set of telecommunications service usage data andthe second set of telecommunications service usage data; and determineexcess usage charges when the combined usage exceeds the allotment ofshared telecommunications units.
 17. The computer readable medium ofclaim 16, further including instructions executable by the processor todetermine the excess usage charges using a common per unit rate for thefirst telecommunications service usage data and the secondtelecommunications service usage data.
 18. The computer readable mediumof claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the processorto determine the excess usage charges using a first per unit rate forthe first telecommunications service usage data and a second per unitrate for the second telecommunications service usage data.
 19. A methodcomprising: receiving a selection of a pricing plan including anallotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection withat least one of a first telecommunications service and a secondtelecommunications service, wherein the allotment of sharedtelecommunications units comprises a first group allotment and a secondgroup allotment; receiving a first set of telecommunications serviceusage data associated with the first telecommunications service, whereinthe first set of telecommunications service usage data includes a firstgroup of first telecommunications service usage data and a second groupof first telecommunications service usage data; and a second set oftelecommunications service usage data associated with the secondtelecommunications service, wherein the second set of telecommunicationsservice usage data includes a first group of second telecommunicationsservice usage data and a second group of second telecommunicationsservice usage data; determining a combined usage by combining the firstgroup of first telecommunications service usage data and the first groupof second telecommunications service usage data to form a combined firstgroup usage data; and combining the second group of firsttelecommunications service usage data and the second group of secondtelecommunications service usage data to form a combined second groupusage data; and determining excess usage charges when the combined firstgroup usage data exceeds the first group allotment or the combinedsecond group usage data exceeds the second group allotment.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, further comprising determining the excess usagecharges using a first per unit rate for the combined first group usagedata and a second per unit rate for the combined second group usagedata.